Desi Village
4527 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19143
Desi Village Menu
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Address :
4527 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA, 19143 - Phone (215) 382-6000
- Website https://desi-village.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :12:00 pm - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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Randy O.
We ate here for lunch on Saturday. What a treat! Both of the dishes we ordered were delicious, and the portions were fair. We both left full but without much to take home (other than a lot of rice). The prices are about what I would expect for a sitdown restaurant in this area. The service was fast, friendly, and attentive. As the other reviews mentioned, the atmosphere leaves a little to be desired. This is a no-frills restaurant where the food is the primary focus. I wish they offered lunch buffets here! We will definitely be returning here in the near future.
(4)Kate G.
I have had two experiences with Desi Village. The first was 2 years ago, so I won't write a review for that. What I will say is that it was a poor enough experience that it took my husband and I this long to give it a second chance. Last night we were craving Indian, and I recently saw the GrubHub sign outside Desi Village's storefront. So we said, "oh heck, why not?" Our first experience had everything to do with poor service, and we didn't remember the food being bad. Delivery came quickly. That was nice. We sat outside in our yard by candlelight and began to eat. I got a chicken tikka curry, and my husband ordered eggplant. He loved his dish and practically licked the bowl. He enjoyed the naan and his giant veggie samosas. His only complaint after was that he felt like he ate way too much starch, and it was catching up with him. My chicken curry was 2.5 stars. The sauce was lovely, but the chicken was tough, as though it had been microwaved too long and added to the curry. I also had Mulligatawny soup, which was 90% salty broth with some bits of spinach floating in it. Kind of non-descript, but edible. I added a side of mango chutney, because I am a mango addict. The chutney was very gelatinous, and strangely just as salty as it was sweet. So I only used a bit of that. We got a free mango lassi because our order totaled a certain amount. The lassi was heavy on yogurt and milk, light on mango. Now, let me say this--I have some food sensitivities that typically don't apply when eating Indian. They're usually a problem with asian cuisines. I get extreme bloating immediately after consuming anything with MSG in it, followed by worse problems. I also avoid gluten, because it irritates my system on a milder level. I can usually get away with a bite or two of bread, or a sip of beer, and I'm unaffected. On this occasion I had a sip of my husband's beer earlier, and I had a little bite of naan, Naan is the hardest of all breads to abstain from. Gluten-free peeps, I am sure you can relate. But what happened to my body 20 minutes into my meal was equal to the gluten attack that first made me give it up, which involved half a Dock Street pizza and growler of IPA. Plus, I had all the symptoms of an MSG attack. I stood up after eating and I had to sit back down. It felt like I had swallowed a hard plastic ball full of air. My skin hurt from my stomach expanding so quickly. It was bad. I'll spare you the details. I have no way to prove that Desi Village uses MSG, but no other ingredient has ever caused this kind of instant reaction. If you are sensitive to gluten or MSG, or have IBS, I suggest that you avoid this establishment. There's a place on 40th and Chestnut that clearly labels all their GF entrees in their extensive buffet. A much safer option. You'll be fine, just watch your portions. The funny thing is, I accidentally ordered from that place on Chestnut first. I had to call the restaurant and GH to cancel the order so I could get what I wanted from Desi, which had a much shorter wait time. This was probably an omen I should have heeded. I am so sorry, irritable bowels.
(1)Ashley T.
The food here is subpar. I ordered chicken tikka, biryani, and naan. It was all subpar. There really arent any good words to describe my experience here..... Imma keep it movin
(2)Vera G.
August 14,2015 . My daughter and I enjoyed a different cuisine. Never had Indian cuisine. Veggie platter. Very good.
(4)Bridget G.
I really like it here! The food is really flavorful and filling. It's pretty standard Indian that you can get across UCity, but something about this place is better. Everything is piping hot and really fresh. My friend and I had questions about some of the ingredients in the dishes and the manager/owner came right out and explained things fully. The waiter was constantly filling our water glasses and seemed genuinely curious about whether we enjoyed our food. I dig.
(4)Ari K.
I normally don't like to review places I've ordered from only one time, especially when I order only one entree. However, my experience with Desi Village tonight was considerably less than stellar. My primary gripe at the moment is that the deliveryperson who brought the food to my building was incredibly rude to the lovely people at the front desk. I have only secondhand information, but I know that he left the food there and stormed out, blatantly disregarding the protests that the front desk could not be responsible for the food left there. I understand that I ordered pretty close to closing time, but behavior like that is unacceptable no matter the circumstances. The food itself was unappetizing. I ordered Paneer Makhani, which I normally love. Unfortunately, it looked absolutely disgusting, and when I tasted it, it was very bland. The few flavors I could make out were unpleasant. Why two stars instead of one? The naan was absolutely delicious.
(2)Amina m.
Food was good but the chutney was really gross they added green food coloring I do not recommend the chutney at all
(2)Nadia T.
I ordered from Desi Village recently via Grub Hub. The food far exceeded my expectations. I got the samosa chaat and chicken ginger-garlic kababs. The chaat was just what I hoped and delicious, and was enough to last me for 2 meals. The kababs on rice were incredible. Very flavorful and left me feeling satiated but not overly full. I plan on ordering from Desi Village often! (Plus, delivery was very fast via GrubHub and there's no delivery fee.)
(4)Erica F.
Ordered the same thing I get at every Indian Restaurant since I was a child: Veggie Samosa's & Chicken Tikka Masala Veggie samosas were okay, they doused them in sauces before they were served so I didn't have the option of how much, little, or if any sauce I wanted to use. Chicken Tikka Masala was perfect consistency and taste, but not very large portion! MOST IMPORTANTLY: I Specifically chose this restaurant because yelp said they had outdoor seating and they allowed dogs. FALSE ON BOTH COUNTS. However, since my dog is a registered service animal they were forced to let us eat with him in the restaurant anyway.
(3)Jay S.
This food tastes like mediocre leftovers warmed up in the microwave. The service is very poor. They don't ask you during the meal nor after whether the food was good or not. The rice was dry and the chicken was hard as if it had been warmed up multiple times. I would not recommend this place unless you are absolutely desperate for Indian food. Skip it and go to mood café for a chicken Chaat instead.
(2)Samantha N.
I've only eaten here once and was very disappointed. The entrees were too greasy and oily (layer of oil at the top of each). They were also lacking in flavor. I don't think I'll be going back.
(2)Scott J.
This place is excellent. Really high quality fresh spices and delicious meat and the best northern Indian sauces. Ordering out through seamless is affordable and eating in you have big quantities and a festive time. They really care about their craft here.
(5)Sara N.
If you ate at any Indian restaurant in West Philadelphia, you've eaten at them all. They all share the same themes--lukewarm curries and masalas prepared by cooks heavy-handed with the cream, butter/ghee, and oil, sagging naan, and deeply fried meat and vegetarian dishes. All served with heaps of undercooked rice and slowly served/delivered. Desi Village is no different.
(2)Anna D.
This is by far my favorite restaurant in West Philly and one of the best Indian places I've tried - and I've tried a lot! My go-to is the chicken tikka masala with garlic naan. The sauce is incredible and the amount of chicken included seems to have increased over time. I also love the lamb vindaloo and just recently had the aloo cholley for the first time and was very pleased. One of their house specialties is the baingan bhartha which is an eggplant dish - it's really good but the eggplant is mashed so it didn't totally satisfy my vegetable fix! Whenever I actually go to the restaurant to eat I order the vegetable somosas (amazing!!) and the mango lassi. Service is pleasant and delivery is fast!
(5)Ashish G.
These guys are open no matter what the weather conditions are! My wife and I were staying overnight at our friend's place close to Upenn. We had limited grocery in the house and decided to order online for Indian food. This was one of the few places that was open even in the heavy snow, but given our hunger pangs we took a chance! We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Daal Makhani, Mango Lassi and the Samosa chaat apart from the usual bread and rice. Delivery was prompt and within the 45 minutes time frame as promised. The food was surprisingly warm. The food was good. I would say it is surely value for money compared to other places close by given the quantity they serve. It could have been more spiced up, but we are not complaining given that they delivered and everything else added up!. We will visit for dine in next time around.
(5)Rachel W.
Desi Village seems to go in a swing of good then bad based on time of year and whose cooking. Unfortunately we ate last night and was back to being beyond 'meh'. The chicken tikka masala was limited in actual chicken or veggies (2 chunks of peppers versus the normal veggie heavy dish), the sauce was way too sweet without much flavor and the chicken was over cooked so badly it was hard to chew. The samosas got thrown away after one bite and luckily they didn't screw up the naan or rice. Disappointed as I would love to love this neighborhood spot but unfortunately won't be coming back.
(2)Laurent W.
I like the atmosphere. It's calm and good for conversation. Bring your date here if both of you enjoy good Indian food! Even if you don't, you'll be turned into liking it. I love their lamb biryani, medium is usually enough for me but if you can't handle spicy that much, just say none at all. Their mango Lassi is awesome and so does the chicken Tikka masala. :-) I like the garlic Naan a lot, combine with the tomato soup it's just delish! price is good, not too pricey considering the good service and great food.
(5)Cora N.
Love this place! Authentic indian food, always good. Don't miss the samosa chaat and the palak paneer! The chicken tandoori is also delicious. The employees are always friendly and helpful.
(5)Tina W.
I wish there was an option for no star. Decided to try it out during University City dining days. It's the shabbiest, dingiest restaurant I've ever seen that was still open for business. The place is just plain dirty and grungy looking. From the front door that used to be white to the caked on dirty, dirty carpet. The walls are just disgusting and need a good bleaching. I was afraid to eat there & was surprised that the place was moderately full. If the dining area looked like that I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like. Btw the website showcases pics of somebody else's massive gorgeous clay oven. Such deceptive advertising. The place was just plain disgusting and dirty. Stay away. Don't even waste your time. So many beautiful clean aesthetically pleasing restaurant choices in the area. Someone please call the Dept of Health--it really was that nasty.
(1)Shir K.
Food is usually really good. Once I could tell that there was someone else in the kitchen, chaat was soggy and just soaked in mint jelly.
(4)Anu K.
My fiance and I were walking around Baltimore ave and I had a sweet gulab jamun craving. We stopped at Desi Village because I knew Hassan (who also owns Mood cafe, which is delicious and awesome ) owned it. I didn't expect exceptional gulab jamun, but I expected it to be at least edible. We took it as takeout, walked a while, found a bench and finally opened the container. It immediately smelled like whiskey. My fiance grew up in Delhi mentioned that sometimes they put in a drop of alcohol but this smelled like it had gone bad. I being the brave idiot who would eat anything, took a bite and immediately started retching. This was incredibly disappointing. I will not be coming back here for dessert nor food when both New Delhi and Sitar have delicious fresh Indian take-out.
(1)Maria R.
Awesome Indian food in Philly. Particularly good paneer options. Service is good and friendly.
(5)Jansport H.
quick delivery was nice however, the price was too high given the portion as well as the quality of food. not enough chicken in the chicken tikki masala and baighan was just blandish goup. garlic naan bread nothing to die for.
(2)J. Christopher E.
I've ordered delivery from here several times. I've tried several dishes and everything has been very good. I though that the chicken makhani was very good and I'll definitely order that again. The samosas are also pretty good. Nan just OK. The time from ordering to delivery has also been pretty fast so that's nice. From what I've tried, this seems to be the best Indian restaurant in West Philly. This is owned by the same family who runs Desi Chaat house and also Mood Cafe.
(4)Kandis T.
Desi Village used to be my go to Indian spot in the neighborhood. I ordered take out from them a few nights ago and something has seriously changed, beyond the packaging. My samosas tasted salty and fishy, and seemed to be made with some new ingredients. I asked for my dish (shrimp) to be mild and it was too spicy to eat. the naan and rice pudding were good though
(2)HalalBite F.
Food Tested: Chicken tikka masala, garlic ginger chicken kabab, naan, lacha paratha. Positive: Interesting relics and decor. Negative: Food is mediocre and the portions are small for the price. Overall: Average tasting indian/pakistani cuisine, good for those that are not accustomed to this type of food. Revisit: No Health tip: Stick to the BBQ dishes as they are grilled.
(1)Edward M.
This is more of a 3.5 star place, but they're nice, so they get a bump up. Had dinner here with a couple of companions. This was good because we shared dishes and tried different combinations. The server asked what spice level we wanted. We asked for medium spicy for all the dishes, but, interestingly, each dish achieved a different level of heat -- though they could all qualify as medium, I suppose. The chicken tikka was my favorite -- boneless pieces of tandoor-grilled chicken, with sauteed onions, chickpeas, and rice. Also tasty were the lamb and pickled veggies dish, which came in a distinctive sauce and the black lentil and bean dish; both came with a side of rice. All were flavorful and, thankfully, not greasy. We also got the bread basket with three different types of naan, which were all yummy (ironically, my favorite was the very buttery one). As others have noted, the food is on the pricier side, particularly for west Philly Indian, but hopefully the extra bucks go to better ingredients (wishful thinking?). The decor is ... functional; it shouldn't offend anyone but will also not impress anyone. Service was slow as we waited half an eternity for our food; once we dug in, though, we were much happier. I'd return here, but not too often.
(4)Jeff R.
Attempted to have dinner here but after 90 minutes of waiting I had to walk out. Cons: Appetizer never came. My entree never came. Naan was burnt to a crisp. Was asked 4 times over the course of 90 minutes what I had ordered to finally be told they had sold out of that dish. Waited 20 minutes to be brought a menu. Pros: kept me hydrated by filling my water glass 47 times.
(1)Amanda C.
Stopped in for a quick cheap dinner. Started with samosa chaat which was deep fried vegetarian samosa smashed and covered with chickpeas, chutneys, and yogurt sort of like the Indian version of nachos. It was awesome. I ordered saag paneer and split an order of whole wheat onion naan, the ingredients were fresh, spicy, and super filling. Waitstaff was polite and kept our water glasses full which was nice. I don't know if this place is authentic since I am a polish-italian from Port Richmond, I do know it was really delicious.
(4)Sean H.
Desi Village has some wonderfully delicious food on offer, but be prepared to wait. Our dinner stretched into what seemed like an absurd amount of time, but I just like to think that it's because they're in the back making every single thing from scratch just for us. ROFL. The chicken curries and biryani were delectable, as was the assortment of naan we ordered. I'd check this place out if you don't mind venturing that far past the Schuylkill.
(4)Julia C.
Came here again with a friend and it just tasted soooo good, so delectable I felt I had to write an update and give them 5 stars. I wish i had my camera as we sat in the window seat. Both ordered vegetarian combo. Love the taste and the fact I live a block away. will be returning very soon....
(5)Schuyler L.
I really wanted to like this place, especially because I recently had such an excellent experience at Desi Chaat, Desi Village's sister restaurant. But even as the only two customers, we felt the overall experience was less than ideal. Although the fault was neither ours or theirs, the mistakes were preventable. And this is the reason for 3/5 stars. The food was very tasty, we had the Lamb Rogan Josh (per the delightfully charismatic waiter's suggestion), Shahi Paneer for entrees, Samosa Chat (starter), and an interesting spicy naan bread. The food was delicious, very Indian. Not the absolute best I've ever tasted, but quite honestly... I could not stop eating it. Currently I am full. Seriously full.
(3)Laila C.
yummy yummy yum yummers! The saag lamb is one of the best indian dishes I've ever had. it's soooo garlicky and the lamb is delectably tender! it's super cheap and it's byob. What's not to love?!?!? I tried my first chaat here too. Pretty good but I guess I prefer my chutney to be on my samosa at my discretion. Also their green chutney is pretty delicious. I totally want to eat here again before I leave!
(5)Alex Z.
I wish I could give this place 5 stars for lunch and 4 for dinner...although it's on the fence for dinner...so I bumped it up to 5. It's like, a good 5, but not an amazing 5. Quality has been consistently good. I think this is an above-average Indian place. The food is flavorful, some of it is very rich but it has never seemed greasy or disgustingly heavy to me. The bread has always been good too. I especially have had good experiences with the saag here, but I've ordered a bunch of stuff. Some of the other reviewers have commented that they think this place is overpriced. I think this is a commentary more on the standards for this style of Indian food in America than on this place...it's not appreciably higher in price than other sit-down places of this caliber. I do wish, personally, it were just a tiny bit cheaper. But I still come to eat here, at the current prices. The lunch specials here are a steal, especially the vegetarian lunch special...you get quite a lot of food, a little bit of several different dishes, for a remarkably low price. Also, the people who work here are also very friendly.
(5)Bill M.
Due to a situation from this thread ( yelp.com/topic/montgomer… ) I found myself vowing to check out an Indian restaurant that I haven't been too since I couldn't get to the target that was under fire in South Jersey. Fortunately I didn't have to go very far since I still needed to try one of West Philly newest restaurants Desi Village. Over all I'm kind of mixed, and predominately think that it might be because I ordered wrong. I love the fact that Baltimore Ave. has gained another restaurant that isn't Ethiopian, and for that alone I'm destined to be frequenting it frequently. But compared to the other Indian Restaurant in West Philly (New Delhi especially), and it's Ethiopian neighbors, I found Desi Village to seriously be lacking in things like portion size and decor. And those are two things that I consider pretty critical. I'm also grieving the fact that it's no longer Blue Nile Falls( yelp.com/biz/blue-nile-f… ), which was a place that I really enjoyed. The first thing that I noticed when I sat down was the fact that I was staring at 3 different kinds of chairs within a 4 table radius. I don't think it's just me on this, but I have a hard time taking a restaurant that looks like it rummaged through a yard sale to supply it's decor seriously. But I did at least like the various paintings and plumes that it had on the walls. On to the food. I was torn between going with seafood or veggies, and after choosing seafood I kind of found myself feeling a little bit cheated. The Shrimp Vindallo might of just been one of the tastiest shrimp dishes that I've had. I loved it's curry sauce and potatoes. But anyway you look at it, paying $15 for a shrimp dish that only hooks up 4 shrimp is kind of dick. Also after my friend chose his veggie dish the server gave him the option of choosing how spicy he wanted it. I would have loved that option (seriously I'm potentially training for Han Dynasty here!)! So while I clearly got dicked over, I did see it's potential. And I tasted that potential with each bite! And while you best believe I'm not ordering a seafood entree next time I come here, I'm definitely interested in trying what else to offer. I loved the bit of collard greens that I tried off my friend, and they make an awesome veggie samosa!
(3)Jenny B.
I love Desi Village - haven't had a bad experience here. The naan is fresh and hot, and between my boyfriend and I we've tried several different entrees with no disappointments. Take-out orders are promptly ready, and our in-house service has always been good. This is currently one of only a few go-to Indian restaurants for me in this area.
(4)Ed A.
Probably the best Indian food in West Philly / University City. For years I was used to New Delhi, a few blocks away, which is still good, especially for buffet, but this place easily has it beat. The food here is much less greasy than some other places, but it still tastes fantastic. They also do take out, which is wonderful, or you can eat in. All in all, a fantastic place, highly recommended.
(4)Joyce L.
3.5 stars. Three for the food, four for the service. Was here with an Indian friend for dinner. I was surprised when I saw the menu prices--more than $10 for a plate of curry?! Luckily I don't eat much and the curry is served with rice. We also ordered an aloo paratha and garlic naan. One makhani chicken with the "breads" was just enough for the two of us.
(3)Flint W.
Yes they may have had some issues early on with up dining in service. Since then I simple take out which has been Perfect every time. Everything is good. The Naan is exceptional. The lamb is tender. Spices are very well blended.
(5)Kate D.
Yay! I'm a fan! Thank god I tried this place. After my experience with Sitar I have been somewhat gunshy about trying ANY new restaurant in the area, especially since my funds are so tight. But I brought myself to give it a shot, and wow, how nice. :) The pakoras seemed a little overcooked, but the paneer naan was stuffed with cheese, it was AWESOME. I stayed on the safe side with palak paneer, but compared to what I had at the other place, I had one bite and said, out loud, "Oh, thank god." I can find pretty good Indian food near my house! Definitely on the good side of acceptable - even crossing over into dang good! And delivery came WAY before they said it would, by roughly twenty minutes. I imagine they overshoot their estimates to account for traffic and distance and unforeseen circumstances, but a whole twenty minutes? I'm down with that. Thanks, Desi Village, you've got a new loyal customer. Now if I could just find a decent Thai place...
(4)Melissa W.
This place was full of women draped in blinged-out technicolor saris, a reasonable marker of authenticity at an Indian restaurant. Desi Village serves up the best Indian food in West Philly. Beats Tandoor and New Delhi by a league (British colonization = imperial units), and is perhaps slightly better than Sitar. Ambiance isn't the classiest and service can be a little slow at times, but the food is worth it. It's worth noting that the portions can be a bit on the small side for the price, especially the meat dishes. Makhani chicken and palak paneer with basmati rice and naan. That's all you need to order for a delicious meal.
(4)Laura W.
Inspired by the UC Dining Days menu, I went here recently for lunch and was incredibly pleased! To find a reasonably priced Indian restaurant just blocks from my apartment in the Walnut Hill area was a nice surprise. Desi Village is truly a small gem of a place. The interior is small yet feels spacious, with high ceilings and old fashioned prints that evoke feelings of being in on a Bollywood set. I had the Bhuna lamb curry which contained a mixture of onions, tomatoes, lamb, and spices, served with a large portion of rice. In addition, I ordered the Paneer naan, a lightly warm flatbread stuffed with homemade cheese. The spices in the curry were not overpowering and the cheese in the naan was a nice compliment. The service was quick and friendly, making this a very relaxing lunch hour. The curry and rice portions were large enough for me to take half home and have it for dinner the following day. Definitely going to return here in the future--I'm particularly looking forward to trying the naan stuffed with spiced lamb and the some of the chicken and veggie curry dishes. If you're in the Baltimore Ave/Clark Park area, or are looking for UC Dining Days options, I would definitely check this place out!
(4)Melissa M.
This restaurant makes the most delicious paneer in Philadelphia. I've loved every dish I've ever ordered. My boyfriend and I come here for special occasions. Sit at the table in the window for a romantic touch!
(5)paul g.
Why isn't this place packed every day of the week? It blows all the other Indian options in the vicinity way out of the water, like up into the skyscrapers. Sure, the ambiance leaves something to be desired, but the quality of the food more than makes up for it. Desi is BYO to boot. recommendations: Chicken Makhani: delectable tender pieces of chicken in a rich butter/yogurt sauce. Lamb Vindaloo: melt in your mouth chunks of lamb in a slightly tangy sauce with potatoes. Baingan Bartha: A rich mixture of grilled eggplant ghee and spices. Sarson ka saag: Prepared in a saag style (pureed leafy greens with spices and ghee) but with mustard greens. Mmmm, too good.
(5)Doriancita H.
I was there during the summer time and they had a few outdoors seating which was nice. The inside was a little small. They seemed to have only one server/ hostess for all the people eating there, it took him forever to attend to us, and the food was pretty slow to be served. However, the food was delicious! I had one of their lunch specials, which came with a samosa, spiced chick peas, jasmine rice, naan bread, rice pudding and some curry meats. Would definitely go back again when I'm not super hungry.
(3)Lillian L.
Overpriced for takeout. Food was good but I had better. Might as well take your money and dine somewhere else if the price was this high.
(3)Gay K.
The chicken vindaloo, which I order from another place often, had 2 cubes of chicken and the rest was potatoes. The veg meals and bread were good.
(3)Dee B.
Wow! Best tasting Indian Food in University City! Love the lamb Karahi, chicken tikka masala, sarson ka saag and the delish - samosa chat. Want to try more but keep wanting to have these. The whole fam is addicted.
(5)Nicole N.
I ate here this past weekend with my partner and two friends. We ordered four entrées (vegetable biryani, baingan bharta, dahl makhani, and chicken makhani) and shared them family style. Generally, I prefer an Indian buffet because I enjoy sampling a variety of dishes, but this was a good substitute. Everything was delicious and we took some leftovers home. We asked for medium spice and I'd say everything was about right, though the vegetable biryani was bordering on hot--definitely needed the naan with it! The restaurant's lighting and decor are mediocre (not a first date location), but if you're there for the food and conversation you won't even notice. The waitstaff was pleasant and the service was reasonably prompt. My only complaint was that they only brought one bowl of rice for the table, which we annihilated. I'm sure we could have asked for more, but it seemed strange to do so when we were getting doggy bags. Overall, a positive experience!
(4)Elisha C.
I've never eaten in here, just gotten take-out and delivery, but I am definitely a fan. The food is great. The samosas are perfectly crisp without being overly greasy. The chaat is amazing (so much better than what I've had at some other local Indian eateries). Even more poor sheltered mother and aunt, who have pretty much never eaten anything more exotic than General Tso's, fell for their chicken dishes. When I get delivery it always arrives so fast that it's still piping hot and the papri is nice and crisp. Lovely. I've seen a few complaints about the portion sizes, but if you're like me and tend to order more snacks and appetizers Desi Village's choices will fill you up and then some. What really won me over, though, was the service. The first time I ordered here I opted for take-out (getting delivery four blocks away on a sunny afternoon just seemed silly). I got there a little before the food was ready and was not only offered a place to sit, but a glass of water and constant updates on how long it would be (only two minutes!). A lot of places just tell you a couple minutes and leave you to stand in a corner, so to be treated so well for a small pick-up order made a huge difference in my mind.
(4)Vega X.
The best Indian food I've eaten in Philadelphia, by far. If it weren't located a bit away from the Penn campus, it would give places like New Delhi and Sitar a real run for their money. I like buffets in general, but places like Tandoor and Sitar are good, not great. The reason they get some much business especially around lunch time is because they're closer to Penn. But trust me, if you want really good, authentic north Indian food then Desi Village is the place. It is simply outstanding. Indian food is rarely eaten in buffet style, its almost always ala carte and you know when you see a buffet (for example, at Indian weddings), you know its for the convenience but not the substance. Desi Village is all about the substance. They do not serve buffets, and that means all the dishes are made for you, customized if you want. The village Naan is exciting - don't be put off by its red color - its spicy and extremely tasty. The dal makhani is the best I've had in ages, as is the saag. The staff is very warm and friendly. They will be happy to make suggestions based on your preferences. It is also BYOB. Authentic North India cuisine. I am definitely becoming a regular.
(5)Matt S.
Love this place. We eat here regularly and have never been disappointed. I don't think there is anything spectacular about the menu, its fairly standard Indian fare done very very well.
(5)Yaanik D.
Unfortunately, Philadelphia has some of the worst Indian food of any major city I've visited. This is one of the better places, and it sure beats everything else near Penn (New Delhi, Tandoor, and Sitar simply suck). When I went, the waitress was loopy but nice. As with most Indian places, you can't be sure how fresh the curries are, but if it doesn't make you sick it's worth going back if you live in West Philly.
(3)Renea R.
I visited the Desi Village once and wasn't blown away. I felt that prices were a bit higher and portions a bit smaller than the other Indian places in the area. The dining area was cute but quite small. I split a few dishes with some friends and everything I tried was tasty, especially the vegetable samosas. Despite that, I think that in the future I'd rather save the money and go to one of the other Indian places in the University City area.
(3)KC Q.
Tried the tandoori chicken a few nights ago. The chicken was excellent... the rice was excellent... the homemade naan excellent. Only thing was that we were missing some of their delicious curry sauce to dip our naan bread in. The dish came with a whole bunch of onions, some cooked more than others, and a pile of chickpeas in a garlicky kind of curry sauce. Next time we'll order a sauce-based dish but I can't fault the chicken - it had a wonderful smoky, but succulent texture and was on the bone. Service was good as always - waitstaff are attentive but not intrusive, very friendly and well informed about their menu. Another great experience. My only complaint is that my clothes carry the lingering smell of curry long after I leave the restaurant. Maybe next time I'll order delivery. Based on Elisha's review, I think I'll try the samosas next time. Looking forward to it...
(4)Christopher R.
This is some of the best take-out Indian food I've had in Philly & the staff at Desi Village could not be friendlier. Definitely added to my list as a permanent meal option in West Philly. After attending the Rittenhouse Spring Festival, the girl and I decided to walk all the way back, so when we got to 45th & Baltimore we were kind of tired. So even though we were only ordering take-out, they insisted we sit down at a table and they served us some nice, cold water. We ordered the chicken vindaloo and the vegetable jalfrezi, with the 'bread basket' (roti, garlic naan, onion naan) on the side. The vindaloo had a decent kick to it, possibly too spicy for some, and the leftover sauce was fantastic for dipping the warm, delicious breads in. The vegetables in the jalfrezi were nice and tender, and this dish also maintained a great flavor. And, like I already mentioned, the breads were delicious. All of this came to about $25. For that price, we had a very filling dinner with plenty of leftovers for a future lunch. The combination of value, great food and excellent service makes me hope Desi Village stays in business for a long time.
(4)Mike B.
The missus and I popped into this recently opened Indian food joint for a last minute meal the other day, and were pleased with the results. I will echo the sentiments of the last poster about plastic utensils being unacceptable. HOWEVER, there was nothing subpar about the food. Our meal was well prepared and the menu had plenty of options for both veggies and omnis (though vegans may have some issue getting a meal prepared without ghee (we forgot to ask)). The garlic naan was flavorful and fresh and the wait staff was lovely and attentive. The atmosphere isn't the greatest, though that is in large part due to the plastic dishes and the "grandma's couch" style plastic table coverings. We will definitely be going back to try it again, and hopefully by that point they will have made the trip to Ikea for some dishes.
(3)Sahara M.
Didn't even know this place existed until I read the reviews here - and I live around the corner! Stopped by for lunch today. The food was great. I had the Shahi paneer and my friend had chicken tikka masala. The sauces were fantastic, the paneer homemade and the chicken tender. We ordered mild, having been burned by other Indian places in the past, but I think I will try medium next time. I couldn't finish my meal and the waiter brought me extra rice to take home with the rest of the paneer. The waitstaff were super nice and attentive, but not annoying. I will agree with the previous posters that the decor leaves much to be desired. The space has definite potential, but needs a major makeover. And the plastic table covers have got to go! Will definitely be back and I'm so happy to have good Indian in the neighborhood!
(4)Shannon M.
OVER-PRICED! My biggest complaint was that I spent around $30 for a few very small portions of food. If the food was amazing, I would not have minded the small portions, but it was adequate at best. Additionally, I ordered naan, thinking I'd get a few pieces at least... I only got one.
(1)PixieCat X.
Average indian food. A little oversalted sometimes but quick delivery and affordable prices round out the place.
(3)David C.
Best Indian Food in Philly. Tiffin may be more familiar, but this place is awesome.
(5)Kate G.
Sooooo goooooood. Love the staff so adorable. Love the malai koftka so creamy. Love the ambiance so minimalist.
(5)Vishal A.
I ordered out from Desi Village last week. I had no interest in actually eating in the restaurant. Taking all aspets of decor, service, etc... out of the picture, this place is still underwhelming. The food is mediocre at best. I won't be going back.
(2)Stacey S.
The food is amazing- the service not so much. I noticed they were busy with take out orders, though, which is why I am not giving them any lower than 4 stars. From now on, though, I will only order take out with them- other than all of the items we shared from the menu were delicious. Can't go wrong here.
(4)Johnny F.
Do yourself a favor and order three things on this menu. Have it delivered to your doorstep. Sit down in your comfy place and let the food take over. After about 30 minutes goes by and the rendezvous with these exotic bites are coming to an end. You're sitting there thinking about the amazing thing that just happened, a smile creeps across your face when you realize you can do it all again another day.
(4)Em B.
For awhile, my husband and I were frequenting Desi Village every Friday night. Bringing a six pack and sitting outside on Balti Ave, we would enjoy the Achari Lamb and the Palak Paneer. I also am a fan of the samosa chat, which is tart and crispy, a smashed delight. The variety of naan is quite good as well. Fun! My husband and I do like our food spicy. Very spicy. We express this to the servers every time and often when the food arrives, it hits the mark. Other times, the food is not quite spicy enough, but still good. I know some other people who have reviewed the restaurant commented on the off-color decor. I happen to like it. I think the mismatched chairs and the lop-sided art brings a charm to the place that puts me at ease. I would call it "homey." I also think the place is legions above New Delhi. I find New Delhi's food a bit greasy and overpriced and their decor a bit affected. One Complaint: it is too small. When I went last night, there were people crammed up against the wall waiting to be seated and I felt like I was being rushed out of the restaurant towards the end of my meal. I should say though that I took a group of 12 friends there for my birthday in June. It was a Wednesday evening so the restaurant, though small, was able to accommodate all of us. They had the tables set up when we arrived and the food came, quick, hot, and delicious.
(4)Secret V.
If you're looking for Indo-Pak in Philly, I'd recommend making it yourself. This place is just okay. Not many options for folks with food allergies--almost everything has dairy in it, including the rice! Portions are small for what they cost and the food falls short of being spectacular. These folks also operate street-food style joint 3 blocks up called Desi Chaat House that's a better bet.
(2)Nicole H.
Eating at Desi Village is always delicious. The sauces are well balanced with a variety of spices and never too heavy. The garlic naan, Somosa chat and chicken vindaloo are consistently enjoyable and never a disappointment. Highly recommend if you want authentic Indian food. It's worth every penny spent!
(5)Lain E.
Desi Village has an unassuming storefront along Baltimore Avenue, which hides the the best Indian food I've had in Philly. Super friendly service, slightly strange but lovingly done decor. Try their Samosa Chaat to start. It was all kinds of textures and delicious tastes: warm chickpeas and fried dough, and cold chutneys and fresh spices on top.
(4)Shanee S.
I love this place. The wait staff is awkward and overly helpful. No ambiance but delicious unpretentious food. I love the chicken makhani! Flovorful, tender, juicy. The bread basket of assorted naan is priceless! , you must try the samosa chat (tart, spicy, with fresh cilantro), I go often !
(5)Brigette D.
Not the best indian I've had. I got the salmon which is usually really juicy and flavorful because it's cooked in a clay pot, but it lacked flavor (is that even POSSIBLE in Indian food?) and was kind of dry. Wait staff was very attentive but I've had better food.
(2)Justin E.
Went and enjoyed it so much I went back later that week. Favorite item on the menu is the chicken makhani. It is fantastic and at prices to boot. Sure the decor is not great, but the outdoor seating is plentiful and Baltimore Avenue has plenty of things to look at while you dine outside. Dinner for two with nan and a nice tip - $30-35.
(5)Erin G.
Just got a report last night that Desi has ordered plates and silverwear. And the owners remain just as friendly and thankful for your business. Yeah!
(4)Uday T.
This place is better than Karma. I would walk 30 blocks to just have food here. Had chicken tikka masala, Bhel puri, chicken tikka, chicken biryani. Awesome!!!
(5)R B.
We got take-out from Desi Village and the portions were exceedingly small. The full orders looked more like the doggie bag I take home after eating a meal at other restaurants. The containers were only half-filled & so were our stomachs once the food was gone. We spent $28 on two of us & I think that should have been enough to receive a reasonable amount of food. Instead my boyfriend made himself a sandwich once we were done. The Mulligatawny Soup was the worst I ever had. Tasted like & had the consistency of the last scrapings of soup with a cup full of water added to it. The entrees were tasty, just ridiculously small with a ton of rice to try and make for it. There is better Indian food in the same neighborhood.
(2)James C.
Spectacular. Went for dinner the other night, and have been back repeatedly since. Better than Ekta, less attitude than Tiffin, and cheaper than New Delhi, I'm prepared to name this the best Indian restaurant in Philly. Sure, it's a little low-rent, with plastic tablecloths and wobbly ceiling fans, but this is West Philly -- if having peerless atmosphere means eight dollars more per entree (looking at you, Palace at the Ben), I'll take Desi's minimalist charm any day of the week. What the restaurant lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for in terms of food quality and immaculate service. The Achari Lamb sang with the perfect sour bite of freshly-made pickle chutney, while the Boti Kababs were soft, succulent, and rich with savory spice. The Garlic Naan was fresh, yeasty, and pillow soft. Dishes were brought to our tables on a cart in proper metalware, and the proprietor himself served us rice and saw to our every need during the evening. Glazed ceramic plates and silverware were clean and of good quality. Oh, and I did I mention it's a no-corkage-fee BYOB? Yeah, it is. I'm not entirely sure the other reviewers went to the same restaurant that I did. I'm going to be a devoted regular here, eating my way up and down the menu. A truly superior operation, and one obviously conducted with copious love and pride. We in West Philly should count ourselves lucky to have restaurants like this.
(5)Mauro D.
HORRIFIC! Slapshot decor - I dined on a card table with mismatched chairs - and no this was not charming at all. The restaurant is filthy! Food was greasy, and the owner sat at one of the tables like the King of Siam ordering his staff around. If anyone wants really good Indian food, I strongly suggest Tiffin.
(1)Candace M.
Yummy, and always there when you need them. It would be 5 stars if they delivered faster!
(4)Sass D.
I am familiar with the Desi Village in King of Prussia, and was very excited when the Baltimore Avenue location opened. The food is quality, and they offer a several levels of spiciness, including "Indian hot". Desi Village is my first choice for neighborhood take out, especially since the kitchen is open until 10pm. I don't understand previous reviewers' complaints about portion size, unless they are comparing Desi Village to the New Delhi buffet. This is a fallacy, as New Delhi food is just not good, and never has been. As for concerns about plastic waste, when I order take-out, I bring back my washed take-out containers, and the kitchen uses them to fill my new order. I appreciate this practice, as it limits the size of the plastic container collection in my kitchen.
(4)Sharon W.
I love around the corner from here and am SO excited about this place! It doesn't look great, sure, but they're trying. You should have seen it the week it opened! The staff is very friendly, they have great prices, and outdoor seating options! The food is not the best Indian food in the city, but it's delicious. I'm particularly fond of the Samosa Chat appetizer, which I believe is what the gentleman before me referred to when he referred to "Indian Nachos". Soooo good. I also love to stop in and get a couple Mango Lassis to go. Tasty! The only thing that has a disappointed me so far is that a few dishes have cheese in them which is not mentioned on the menu, so my vegan room mate was super bummed the first time we got take-out. So, beware vegans! make sure you tell them "No Dairy". They're so nice I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.
(4)Stacey H.
We've eaten here again, and they served with proper ceramic and metalware, which felt like a big improvement over the disposable plasticware the food was served with our first visit. I'd bump it up to 4.5 for this improvement. The food was just as good, and we had a dessert called, "Village Ice Cream", which was fabulous. Also it got a little busy, which was really good to see them doing well.
(4)Soojung C.
Best Indian in Philadelphia, hands down!
(5)Mike M.
I'm not sure when Desi Village exploded onto the Baltimore Ave. dining scene, but I'm glad it did. I'm not a real connoisseur of Indian food. I enjoy it, but I'm never too clear on what it is that I'm eating. It seems like most Indian places in this area go with the buffet format, which is a fine way to fill up, but sometimes I crave something a little more than unidentifiable Indian cooling in a steam tray. Desi Village brings a cooked to order option to the table; they even ask for a desired spice level upon ordering. I went with my standard bearer of Indian: chicken tikki masala and a side of naan. Yawn, I know, but just as chicken and broccoli with an eggroll is to (American) Chinese, I must use this dish as a yardstick to evaluate an Indian restaurant on level ground. This was the best chicken tikki masala I've had in a long time. Heavy sauce, filled with peppers and onions and lots of meat-- it was a pleasure. I'll also note that the naan was delicious; a lot of places in West Philly seem to have rubbery naan, which is just unacceptable. I haven't canvased the city for Indian with enough thoroughness to tell you if it's worth a trip to West Philly, but if you're in the area, you should definitely check it out!
(4)liz l.
I really like eating at (or taking home from) Desi Village. This is becoming my neighborhood go-to. The food is good--really good--and the prices are reasonable. Veggie dishes are well-spiced, savory and tasty. The lassi was very good also. I have never had something here I didn't enjoy eating.
(4)Brittany B.
Desi Village is only a few blocks away so it gets automatic points over the number of other indian places around 40th st. The food is decent, prices are average, and they're BYO. They have a good lunch special too. And i can always go for some samosas. The one complaint i have is that they put whole spices in like cardamom pods and cloves and dont chop them up or crush them or anything. I don't really enjoy biting into a big pod, or a crunch clove. Oh well. Also, they used to have tables outside, but they weren't there the last time I stopped by.
(3)Kate K.
Great food, really terrible, slow service over three visits.
(2)